When you approach adulthood, your wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, could erupt in the rear of your mouth. For many, this could mean serious trouble for your oral health, including impaction. To avoid this, we may suggest removing them altogether! In today’s blog, your Woodland Hills, CA, dentist will discuss how we remove wisdom teeth.
The Dangers of Wisdom Tooth Impaction
The wisdom teeth, as we touched on above, tend to erupt in our late teens and early 20s. However, there is often no room for them, so their arrival could cause a painful partial eruption known as an impaction, along with an increased risk of damaged teeth, infections, discomfort, and even dental misalignment. Which means to preserve the appearance, health, and balance of your smile, we need to remove these teeth before they arrive!
Tooth Extraction
The process starts with an exam, in which we use digital x-rays and intraoral cameras to assess the risk of your third molars, and plan the removal with detail. We then administer anesthesia and sedation to ensure you remain calm and comfortable. The area of the gums above them will be opened, and the teeth gently removed with a pair of forceps. The extraction site is then sutured closed.
Other Reason to Remove Your Teeth
Along with preventing wisdom tooth impaction, extraction could be used to address teeth too damaged, decayed, or infected to be treated with fillings, crowns, or root canal therapy. We could also make room to reposition your teeth in an orthodontic procedure. If one or more have been loosened by gum disease, we may need to take them out. For children, the procedure could be used to address baby teeth with roots that didn’t dissolve properly.
Aftercare and Tooth Replacement
Afterward, we will provide detailed instructions and prescriptions for any necessary medications. You should rest for a day or two, and we will remove sutures in a follow-up. If you lose a tooth to issues like infection or decay, we could full the gap in your smile with a custom-made dental bridge or a dental implant. If you have any questions about how we remove teeth and protect your smile, or about aftercare or tooth replacement, then contact our team to learn more. We want to help you and your family enjoy your best possible smiles!
Do You Have Any Questions About Tooth Extraction?
We’re ready to help improve your smile and restorative dentistry and oral surgery. For more information on how we approach safely removing a tooth then please schedule a consultation by calling Woodland Hills Dental Arts in Woodland Hills, CA today at 818-347-5124. We also proudly welcome patients from Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Encino, Sherman Oaks, and all surrounding communities.